15 votes

Topic deleted by author

15 comments

  1. cfabbro
    Link
    This article was pretty sparse on the details of the new bill/law, and all felonies are not created equal, so I went looking for more info:...

    This article was pretty sparse on the details of the new bill/law, and all felonies are not created equal, so I went looking for more info:
    https://abcnews.go.com/US/virginia-governor-signs-tommies-law-making-animal-cruelty/story?id=62113054

    But under the new law, which comes into effect July 1, anyone who "tortures, willfully inflicts inhumane injury or pain," or "cruelly and unnecessarily beats, maims or mutilates any dog or cat" can be found guilty of a Class-6 felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $2,500.

    8 votes
  2. [14]
    Cosmos
    Link
    Great news! Not at all what I was expected when I started reading "Virginia governor....".

    Great news! Not at all what I was expected when I started reading "Virginia governor....".

    6 votes
    1. [13]
      burkaman
      Link Parent
      Weird article about that: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/02/us/virginia-scandal-northam-fairfax.html
      1 vote
      1. [12]
        Diet_Coke
        Link Parent
        As a Virginian, it's been weird. Most everyone knows about Northam, Fairfax, and Herring. I saw an official picture of Kirk Cox, leader of the state House of Representatives, flashing the white...

        As a Virginian, it's been weird. Most everyone knows about Northam, Fairfax, and Herring. I saw an official picture of Kirk Cox, leader of the state House of Representatives, flashing the white power "ok" sign. I just think nobody wants to go through the process of removing and replacing everyone because it would be too chaotic. The next election will be really interesting.

        3 votes
        1. [11]
          davidb
          Link Parent
          https://www.adl.org/blog/how-the-ok-symbol-became-a-popular-trolling-gesture
          1 vote
          1. [9]
            Diet_Coke
            Link Parent
            Judge for yourself if you think that's what he's doing here - but actually making a sign for ok doesn't seem to make any sense in this context and neither does the circle game. While a prominent...

            Judge for yourself if you think that's what he's doing here - but actually making a sign for ok doesn't seem to make any sense in this context and neither does the circle game. While a prominent politician from a county that got a big part of it's population from white flight dog whistling to his racist supporters sure does.

            4 votes
            1. [8]
              cfabbro
              Link Parent
              I am not going to defend the guy's actions as a representative since I am not American and know nothing about him... but honestly, it looks to me like 3 fingers are resting on one side of the...

              I am not going to defend the guy's actions as a representative since I am not American and know nothing about him... but honestly, it looks to me like 3 fingers are resting on one side of the podium and his index finger, being slightly off to the side of that face, simply rested further back on his thumb. If you grip a cubed object in a similar fashion your hand will basically do the exact same thing naturally, too... I just tested it on myself and wound up making the same gesture without even trying to.

              1 vote
              1. [7]
                Diet_Coke
                Link Parent
                Your pointer finger shouldn't automatically bend like that (or at least mine doesn't and I take it for granted that it's normal) - it might hang down, but shouldn't contact the thumb by itself. It...

                Your pointer finger shouldn't automatically bend like that (or at least mine doesn't and I take it for granted that it's normal) - it might hang down, but shouldn't contact the thumb by itself. It just seems like there has to be some effort to get your fingers into that position.

                2 votes
                1. Cosmos
                  Link Parent
                  My finger curves naturally as well. And now that I think about it, it seems like it's probably because nearly all activities involve curving my fingers. Whether it's driving, eating, sitting...

                  My finger curves naturally as well. And now that I think about it, it seems like it's probably because nearly all activities involve curving my fingers. Whether it's driving, eating, sitting behind a computer, writing, etc.

                  2 votes
                2. [4]
                  davidb
                  Link Parent
                  That seems to me like quite a stretch. When I've been photographed and video-graphed for PR stuff, it can be awkward to know what to do with my hands. I could see myself ending up with an awkward...

                  That seems to me like quite a stretch. When I've been photographed and video-graphed for PR stuff, it can be awkward to know what to do with my hands. I could see myself ending up with an awkward hand gesture like that. That seems like the simplest explanation here.

                  If I take it as you say, that he is a racist and his hand is dogwhistling, how do you explain this cognitive dissonance?

                  1 vote
                  1. [3]
                    Diet_Coke
                    Link Parent
                    I'd just say it's cynical political posturing after the blackface photos came out. Words are wind, Kirk Cox and the VA GOP are dedicated to disenfranchising minorities and making life unpleasant...

                    I'd just say it's cynical political posturing after the blackface photos came out. Words are wind, Kirk Cox and the VA GOP are dedicated to disenfranchising minorities and making life unpleasant for the poor.

                    1 vote
                    1. [2]
                      davidb
                      Link Parent
                      His voting record, personal life, and professional career just doesn't support that. The gerrymandering case is the best evidence you have, and that is embroiled in political controversy more than...

                      His voting record, personal life, and professional career just doesn't support that. The gerrymandering case is the best evidence you have, and that is embroiled in political controversy more than it is straight racism that I have to take the Occam's razor approach - the legislature wanted to secure more GOP districts and used the tools at their disposal to do so.

                      I don't even want to defend the guy, but that level of "the other side is pure evil" rhetoric is leading to some bad ideas, specifically your claim that "words are wind," actions don't matter, but a hand gesture betrays the true Janus-faced insidiousness. Reality is more complicated than the idea that the GOP are pure evil and I believe you'll be more effective in seeing the policies you care about enacted if you acknowledge that, rather than worry about some dude's hands.

                      1 vote
                      1. Diet_Coke
                        Link Parent
                        Including multiple votes to restrict abortion access which primarily affects low-income and WOC, votes to curtail voting access i.e., photo ID requirements which have been demonstrated to...

                        His voting record

                        Including multiple votes to restrict abortion access which primarily affects low-income and WOC, votes to curtail voting access i.e., photo ID requirements which have been demonstrated to disproportionately affect low-income and POC, voting to ban so-called sanctuary cities which is throwing red meat to the racist base, and many more.

                        Occam's razor

                        Why is it a more simple explanation that the VA GOP would want to gerrymander for purely political and not racial reasons? Considering their electoral maps were ruled to be overly racist and they continue to try and use them.

                        specifically your claim that "words are wind," actions don't matter,

                        Words are wind is actually the exact opposite of saying actions don't matter. It means that only actions matter. A tweet is not an action. The guy's voting history speaks for itself.

                        Reality is more complicated than the idea that the GOP are pure evil

                        ...a claim I never made.

                        1 vote
                3. cfabbro
                  (edited )
                  Link Parent
                  Mine does... it's more comfortable when the index finger is resting on something instead of just floating awkwardly in the air, and the thumb is perfectly positioned to brace it. But again, I am...

                  Your pointer finger shouldn't automatically bend like that

                  Mine does... it's more comfortable when the index finger is resting on something instead of just floating awkwardly in the air, and the thumb is perfectly positioned to brace it. But again, I am not American and know nothing about this guy... so if he has a history of using racially charged language or something then maybe you're right. I just think jumping to conclusions is dangerous, and exactly why that hand gesture was adopted, so that people would look like conspiracy nuts when they went accusing every single person of making a similar gesture of being a nazi, even if that person didn't realize they were doing it. And this is definitely one instance where I might have have been "caught" doing the same thing were I resting my hand on the edge of a podium... so take that for what it's worth.

                  1 vote